Research Development
and Pre-Award Staff

Christopher Hughes, PhD

Associate Dean of Research and Innovation

Phone: 949-824-8771
Email: cchughes@uci.edu
Office: 5101 Natural Sciences II

As the Associate Dean of Research and Innovation, Dr. Hughes oversees all research development efforts and serves as the School’s liaison with UCI Beall Applied Innovation to partner discoveries in biology with the business community. Dr. Hughes has been with UCI since 1996 and has served in numerous administrative roles, including as Chair of the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, director of the Edwards Lifesciences Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Technology, and co-leader of the Onco-Imaging and Biotechnology program at the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. As a vascular biologist, Dr. Hughes is among the leading groups nationwide in the development of body-on-a-chip technology and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
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Jason Park

Contracts and Grants Director

Phone: 949-824-5593
Email: jpark@uci.edu
Office: 5203 Natural Sciences II

Jason has been at UCI since 2002 and has previous experience in the Schools of Medicine and Engineering. His primary role in the School of Biological Sciences is to oversee all extramural research activity in both pre-award and post-award, ensuring proper award management, financial compliance, and meeting all sponsor requirements. In his free time, Jason enjoys golf, tennis, and mountain biking.

Research Development Team

Justin Sarkis, MS

Research Development Coordinator

Phone: 949-824-9698
Email: sarkisj@uci.edu
Office: 5200 Natural Sciences II

Justin has worked in research development in the School of Biological Sciences at UCI since March 2020. He has worked in proposal development since 2017 in academia at UCR and in industry at Clean Energy Fuels. In 2019, he earned Foundation-Level Certification from the Association for Proposal Management Professionals, which certifies knowledge and understanding of correct proposal best practices. As Research Development Coordinator, Justin helps faculty, postdocs, and graduate students in the School of Biological Sciences acquire funding for research and fellowships through proposal development. Outside of work, Justin is an avid listener of classical music and likes to attend classical music concerts.

Pre-Award Team

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Megan Vu, MBA, MPA

Pre-Award Contracts and Grants Supervisor

Phone: 949-824-3489
Email: vum@uci.edu
Office: 5206 Natural Sciences II

Megan has worked at UCI since 2004 and has worked in research administration since 2010. Her primary role in the School of Biological Sciences is to lead the pre-award staff and provide pre-award support to faculty and researchers. Outside of work, Megan enjoys spending time with her husband, family and friends, and likes to travel.

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Carmen Bastos

Senior Contracts and Grants Analyst

Phone: 949-824-4772
Email: cbastos@uci.edu
Office: 5200 Natural Sciences II

Carmen has been at UCI since 2006. Her primary role in the School of Biological Sciences is to assist faculty, postdocs, and graduate students with grant proposal submission. Carmen enjoys hiking and camping with family and friends in the desert, mountains, and coastal regions of California.

Emily Yu

Senior Contracts and Grants Analyst

Phone: 949-824-7413
Email: eyu1@uci.edu
Office: 5200 Natural Sciences II

Emily has worked at UCI since 2014 and in research administration since 2017. Her primary role in the School of Biological Sciences is to facilitate grant proposal submissions for faculty, postdocs, and researchers. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with friends, creating latte art, and looking for the next hot food spot in OC!

If you are unsure who to contact, please send an email to bio-research@uci.edu.